For most, the word “house” conjures images of rectangular dwellings with front porches and chimneys. Front lawns and garages too. But fast forward a few hundred years and the traditional four walls and a roof won’t be standard housing fare, according to urban experts. Climate change, population growth and geo-political shifts are already redefining the way we look at residential spaces of the future.

“The only path forward is to harness solar, wind and water for power and to use the power of computers to design, build and maintain homes,” says Victor Vetterlein, an architect residing in New York City.

To this end, Vetterlein conceived of a self-sufficient, eco-friendly dwelling called Reboot. Curvy and smooth on the outside, its futuristic aesthetic includes an elliptical glass elevator encircled by a white stairway with glass handrails, high gloss floors and a change-able floor-plan. Wind turbines and batteries supply the home’s power, taking into account a predicted shortage of fossil fuels. And an in-house water treatment plant is ready for the rain-water that’s collected in a drain above the windows.

But as futuristic as Reboot may look, Vetterlein says it’s not nearly as “out there” as it seems. While its smooth-and-shiny surface and stem-like base may look like something out of Japanese Anime, most of the technology that would make it possible already exists. Vetterlein says Reboot’s main function now is to provoke discussion. “When people love or hate a new idea like Reboot, discourse emerges…and this is the predecessor to real change.”

For Chad Mitchell, architect and founder of Meridian 105 Architecture, a project called Weave Housing came about in order to address housing issues that include energy efficiency in a changing climate, affordability in a struggling economy and quality of craftsmanship in an evolving marketplace. The woven design of the multi-family project creates pockets of shade to keep the building cool, and these pockets double as balconies for residents. And the building can be pre-fabricated elsewhere then transported, after being checked for quality, before being put in place, something that reduces its cost, as well.